Welcome to U.S. History, 8th Grade, Cluster M!
Lanier Middle School, 2014-2015 School Year
Syllabus
Teacher: Ms. Carrie Roberts
Classroom: Room 248
Email: crobert9@houstonisd.org (this is the best way to reach me; I check it frequently)
Tutorials: Thursday afternoons from 3:35 to 4:20
Website: From purplepups.org, click on faculty, then find Roberts, Carrie. Click on “webpage” under my name.
Supplies:
I recommend that you keep a 3 ring binder for U.S. History with dividers for the following sections:
1. Homework notes
4. Exams and quizzes
2. Class handouts and notes
5. Notebook paper
3. Writings and projects
Additionally, you should always have a writing utensil (a pencil or blue or black pen)
I will give open binder / note quizzes from time to time; staying organized should be a priority! You may
empty your binder at the end of each unit (after the exam), but you should KEEP all old notes and handouts
organized at home so that you can study them in preparation for the U.S. History STAAR exam in April.
Class Rules:
1) Come to class on time and prepared
2) Always give your best effort
3) Treat yourself, your classmates, your teacher, and your school with RESPECT
Class Procedures:
Beginning Class
1. You should be in your seat when the bell rings
2. On taking your seat:
 Check the board for a homework assignment and copy it into your planner
 There will be a daily warm-up. Sometimes this will be a question to reflect on – write the question
and your answer in the notebook paper section of your binder. Sometimes this will be a quick quiz
 I will collect your homework.
During Class
1. Participate often and thoughtfully
2. Ask questions
3. Raise your hand in order to be called on
4. Please make every effort to take care of bathroom visits during the passing period so as not to miss instruction
Ending Class
1. Class ends when I dismiss you. Please refrain from packing up until then
2. Clean up your desk and the area around it before you leave
3. Turn in class work before you leave
A note about technology: I will occasionally allow students to bring in internet-enabled devices such as
smartphones and ipads to facilitate classroom research. I will announce these occasions in advance, and on those
occasions students should only have these devices out when instructed. Additionally, they should ONLY use the
device for the instructed purpose. Any unauthorized use of devices (ex: playing games, being on social media,
etc.) will result in the device being confiscated (confiscated devices can be picked up by parents in Office B) and
the student being banned from bringing a device for the rest of the year.
Grades:
Grades will be calculated on a total-point scale. The total point value of all assignments together will be between
1000 and 1100 points each quarter.
 Homework (10 points each) -- You can count on having homework for almost every class session. It
should take you between 20 and 30 minutes to complete each assignment Homework will often consist of
reading and note-taking assignments to help you prepare to participate in the next lesson. Other homework
assignments may include special readings, map work, reflective writing assignments, etc. I will post
assignments on the website, but the homework written on the board in class is the most up-to-date, so make
sure to copy it into your planner.
 Exams (120 points each) -- There will be an exam at the end of each unit.
 Quizzes (60 points each) -- There will be occasional “pop” quizzes over nightly reading assignments as
well as quizzes over covered content.
 Class Work (30 points each) -- Class Work: Class work, including maps, pair and group work, and reading
response activities will be collected at least twice a week.
 Projects and Writing (120 points each) -- I will assign approximately two projects and/or writing
assignments each quarter. Projects may be assigned on an individual, pair, or group basis.
Grading Rubric for Homework and Class work:
Homework Classwork Descriptors
9.5 - 10
25 – 30
Work displays excellent effort and goes above and beyond in quality. Student
points
points
provides plentiful historical facts, examples, and details in the work. The work goes
above and beyond in addressing the requirements of the assignment.
8 - 9 points 19 – 24
Work displays sufficient effort and quality. Student provides sufficient historical facts,
points
examples, and details in the work. The work fully addresses the requirements of the
assignment.
6 - 7 points 13 – 18
Work displays some effort, but the student should work to improve in effort and
points
quality of work. Student provides some historical facts, examples, and details, but
should work to include more. The work addresses some requirements of the
assignment.
1 – 5 points 6 – 12
Work displays insufficient effort and quality. Student provides few historical facts,
points
examples, and details and/or the work is partly off-topic. The work addresses few
requirements of the assignment OR minimally addresses the requirements of the
assignment.
0 points
0 points
Work was not turned in or fails to address the requirements of the assignment
I will use the following symbols to provide feedback on assignments where appropriate:

Excellent Point; excellent information

This Information Is Correct
*
This Information is Inaccurate -- Check and Correct
?
This is unclear / does not answer the question
 Expand this point; give more information
Policy on Late Work:
Cluster 8M has a late work policy that states that the maximum score any late work can receive is 70%, provided it
is turned in within five school days past the due date; and a maximum score of 50% for any work that is turned in
after the five school day deadline has passed. No late work will be accepted after two weeks past the original due
date. Due dates will always be well advertised, so be sure to get your work in on time!
If you are absent:
 Weekly handouts and class work assignments will be organized in folders by date in the file box at the front
of the room. Students are responsible for collecting all handouts and class work they missed from the
folders before class begins on the day that they return. I am happy to help you find what you need, but it is
YOUR responsibility to ask.


All daily lesson information (questions of the day, warm-ups, homework assignments, and agendas) will
also be posted on my pages on purplepups.org. They will be organized by date. I am also happy to email
you individual class handouts and assignments by request.
Please feel free to email me if you are absent. I don’t expect you to do work when you are sick, but I can
let you know what you missed and what you will need to make up.
Parents: Cluster 8M has a weekly email that we send out to parents/guardians to give the need-to-know
information for the upcoming week. Each cluster teacher contributes to the information in the email.
Please email Ms. Roberts at crobert9@houstonisd.org with your student’s name in the Subject line.
Please also include in the email any secondary or additional email addresses to which you would
like us to send the weekly email.
Students: Remember to bookmark the website: Go to purplepups.org, click on faculty, then find Roberts,
Carrie, and click on “webpage.” I will post homework assignments on the website, so check it frequently!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------PLEASE SHOW SIGNED FORM TO MS. ROBERTS ON THURSDAY / FRIDAY OF WEEK ONE
Acknowledgment Form
I acknowledge that I have read the classroom rules and procedures, and I understand the expectations of students in
Ms. Roberts’ 8th grade U.S. History class.
DATE
DATE
STUDENT’S NAME
(please print)
PARENT’S NAME
(please print)
STUDENT’S SIGNATURE
PARENT’S SIGNATURE